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New disazo and polyazo ureido reactive dyes incorporating different reactive systems were synthesized and applied to cotton fabric by the exhaust dyeing method. Different factors affecting the dye ability and fastness properties of such dyes are investigated.

Bis(monochlorotriazine) reactive dyes displayed higher primary exhaustion values compared to those obtained with bis(sulphatoethysulphone) and bis(monochlorotriazine/sulphatoethysulphone) reactive dyes under different neutral exhaustion conditions. The results obtained indicate that the fixation efficiencies of these dyes were higher than those of dyes incorporating the bis(dichlorotriazine) reactive system. The results assessed for alkaline exhaust dyeing indicate that the bis(monochlorotriazine/sulphatoethylsulphone) dye was less sensitive to the variation in fixation temperatures than the other reactive dyes. The fastness properties of the ureido reactive dyes were fair to good.

The improved dyeing performance of such type of ureido reactive dyes should lead to the design of reactive dyes with good application and fastness properties on cotton fabric, and provide practical solutions for low-salt dyeing. The present study of synthesis of disazo and polyazo ureido reactive dyes of high molecular structure, and its application to cotton fabric by the exhaust dyeing method is novel and could be applied in the industry.

The purpose of this study is to discover the factors related to human resource (HR) digital transformation (DT) in Bahrain during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to analyze the impact of e-human resource management (e-HRM) on organizational performance. These factors are funding, information technology (IT) infrastructure, technical support, digital skills or talents, organizational culture, employee resistance and top management support. These factors were tested to determine whether they affected HR DT in Bahrain during COVID-19. There are no findings in the researched literature regarding the proposed factors that affect HR DT in Bahrain during COVID-19 in this study.

For data collection, a quantitative method was applied by conducting an online survey and distributing it to HR executives and employees from multiple organizations in Bahrain, both in the private and public sectors.

This study proposes a DT adoption model based on seven factors extracted from the literature review. A questionnaire was deployed, and accurate data were collected, processed and then analyzed. The logit model shows determinants factor to the DT adoption where all variables have a positive effect.

Using technology in an organization’s HR practices, known as e-HRM or HR DT, is becoming more crucial since the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike European countries, the HR sector in Bahrain is not prepared to adopt the e-HRM process. This paper proposes a model that enables the HR sector to adopt digital technologies. This model is based on the key factors that enable an effective transition to the sector’s digitalization (e-HRM). Future research is sought to provide additional insights into the same factors and measure their effect on HR DT during COVID-19 in other countries.

The residents of Baghdad city has been suffering from various issues, including poor social relations, low quality of life, as well as neglect of many public spaces and small parks. Therefore, there is a need to devise effective alternatives to compensate for the loss of large public open spaces so as to enhance the residents’ social interactions and other social activities. Having that said, this study identified the types and characteristics of public open spaces to enhance residents’ social activities in Baghdad city.

This study adopted the questionnaire survey method to gather quantitative data from 306 respondents based on the single-stage random procedure. The targeted population of this study refers to the residents of the Karkh district, the western part of Baghdad.

The study outcomes highlight the need to provide pocket parks with adequate characteristics to promote the residents’ social interactions in Baghdad city.

This study contributes by emphasizing the significance of establishing pocket parks for social interaction in Baghdad City.

The study shows a number of solutions related to pocket parks by studying the critical actionable attributes that can be embedded into new development, land-use policies, or to upgrade existing parks. The study may serve as a useful reference for urban and landscape planners, architects, social psychologists, the Municipal of Baghdad, and other interested researchers in this field.

This paper aims to accelerate the development of natural capital accounting via an early report of farm accountants responses to prototype natural capital accounts. The authors test an approach to co-development with this important group who are both preparers and users of natural capital accounts but are not presently included in the research or development of natural capital accounting.

Seven practicing farm accountants and three accountants with an interest in this area were interviewed to gather responses to prototype farm natural capital accounts and make changes to improve the clarity, relevance and usefulness of the accounts. The paper calls for more work in participatory co-development to speed up the development and implementation of natural capital accounting.

The authors found that all participants were supportive of the concept of natural capital accounting and the consideration of agricultural ecosystems as assets of a farm business. Most participants could interpret the accounts and saw them as useful and important to improve sustainability outcomes. Participants highlighted the need for 1) the development of reliable, consistent valuation methods that resist manipulation; 2) natural capital accounting to be affordable and provide value to users; and 3) farmers to be supported to apply and report the methods for different objectives and contexts.

Since agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and changes to natural capital in the economy, information included in natural capital accounts of farm businesses is important to inform policy as well as farm management decisions. This research reveals strategies for policy makers to accelerate the supply of this information to enable market and other incentives to address urgent issues related to sustainability. Results of this study are from a limited sample of well-informed individuals and are thus preliminary. However, they highlight the need (and opportunity) to further co-design natural capital accounts in agriculture with farm accountants.

Farm accountants are important stakeholders in the development and implementation of natural capital accounting processes and systems, yet they are currently excluded from the science and standard-setting processes underpinning natural capital accounting. Co-development represents a fundamental shift in how the science around natural capital accounting is done and is an important step towards creating a more transdisciplinary approach to working with users. The authors show how users can be involved in developing natural capital accounting methods, standards and reports.

Natural capital accounting is a promising method to help reverse sustainability problems, if it is co-developed with stakeholders to be useful and useable.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to report on farm accountants’ perceptions of natural capital accounts in agriculture and to present a case study of co-developing natural capital accounts with farm accountants.

This chapter reports on one faculty member’s experience introducing a service learning component into a sequence of required courses in a College of education at a University in the United Arab Emirates. This study identifies local issues associated with introducing service learning into the curriculum and examines students’ perceptions of self, attitudes toward service to others, and service as leadership and outcomes. Relatively little evidence exists in the Middle East of the actual processes involved in developing and implementing service learning programs and the relevant connections that can be made to Islamic principles for community advocacy and leadership.

The purpose of this qualitative comparative study was to explore the brand-switching behavior of Muslim consumers in selected cities from Pakistan and Malaysia.

Data were collected through interviews which were conducted with 30 participants including universities (5), shopping malls (5) and restaurant locations (5) of each country. The constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results revealed that a demonstration of awareness of American brands, their image and perceived quality causes Muslim consumers to switch away from American brands to non-American brands. In addition, this study also showed that the certain reasons compel consumers to stay with American brands.

The findings are helpful for American brands in reconsidering their strategies while segmenting the Muslim consumers as target market.

This is the first paper of its kind to explore Muslim consumer brand-switching behavior by using a qualitative method.

This chapter explains the phenomenon of artificial intelligence (AI) powered by big data in technology and its contribution in knowledge-based marketing in B2B and its impact on rational decision-making in B2B marketing that affects business performance. This chapter is literature review prepared by compiling and reviewing previous literature, studies, articles, books and other sources related to the contribution of big data-enabled AI to B2B marketing. According to the information analysed, the findings show that big data supported by AI plays a significant role in creating user knowledge, external knowledge and customer knowledge, all of which are factors that significantly influence the ability of business-to-business marketers to make rational decisions that affect the performance of their companies. This chapter explains to them the phenomena of AI powered by big data and its effect on B2B marketing rational decision that will enhance company performance and its contribution on knowledge-based marketing in B2B. This chapter contributes to understanding main functions and interactions of AI system powered by big data and how such a system helps in B2B marketing by generating knowledge about customers, users and markets.

This paper aims to investigate the level of environmental communication and the predominant themes of environmental initiatives and technologies used in India.

In this exploratory study, a manual content analysis was conducted using print and website data related to corporate environmental communication of 60 Indian companies listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange, representing the top thirty from manufacturing and information technology (IT) sector each.

The authors classified the level of importance based on seven attributes, distinguished between hard and soft disclosure and identified the prevalent environmental practices and technologies in each sector. The authors found that the environmental communication of the IT sector is technology-based than the manufacturing sector, but both are weak in acknowledging climate change.

Managers, across the two sectors, can make their organizations environmentally responsible by learning and applying the current practices/technologies and reap benefits by mimetic isomorphism or create competitive advantage.

Building on the theoretical and practical works in corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility communication literature, the authors contribute to the stakeholder theory and voluntary disclosure theory. The findings of the study provide the much-needed base for future research that links the engineering and management community to take the scholarship further to prevent the climate crisis.

This research aims to investigate the impact of fear and perceived knowledge (PK) of Covid-19 on the sustainable consumption behaviour (SCB) of Muslim consumers and to test the mediating role of (intrinsic) religiosity.

A total of 417 responses were collected during Covid-19 lockdown through an online structured survey using the snowball technique. A two-step research approach was adopted. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis was performed on the SCB measurement scale through SPSS. In Study 2, hypothesised associations were analysed using SmartPLS-SEM.

PK of Covid-19 pandemic directly motivates SCB in Muslim consumers, whereas fear has no direct effect on any factor of SCB. Religiosity is found to be a significant driver of SCB. Indirect effects also depict that religiosity positively mediates the association between fear and SCB as well as PK and SCB.

The study may guide policymakers and marketers in using the current pandemic as a tool to inspire sustainable consumption. Religious values, teachings and knowledge about the pandemics can be publicised to create awareness and induce desired behaviour to cope with adverse events and adopt sustainable consumption patterns and lifestyles among Muslim consumers.

The article is the pioneer of its kind to present survey research about Covid-19 fear and PK’s impact on SCB through religiosity. It adds to the Islamic marketing literature about religiosity, coping theory, PK and fear of pandemics and their role in transitioning Muslim consumers towards SCB. Moreover, the use of partial least squares structural equation modelling in the context of Covid-19 research was extended.

This study aims to better understand advanced maternal age (AMA) and its impact on maternal and perinatal health by investigating the prevalence, sociodemographic profiles and adverse pregnancy outcomes of AMA in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

This study is a part of a large multicenter cross-sectional study. The project aimed to improve maternal and early child health in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was conducted at seven healthcare centers located in the urban, suburban and rural areas of Abu Dhabi. The project’s data included all mothers (i.e. Emirati and non-Emirati mothers) who came to the centers looking for healthcare follow-up.

From the total of 1,710 enrolled mothers with complete data, 379 were with AMA, having a prevalence of 22.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 20.2, 24.2). Among 379 advanced maternal age (AMA) mothers, 328(84.5%), and 51(15.5) mothers were between 35 and 39 years, and =40 years, respectively. The mean (SD) of maternal age was 30.0(5.2) years. No significant association was found between AMA, and parent’s education, family income, child gender, preterm birth and low birth weight. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, factors significantly associated with AMA were higher parity (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 2.24, 95%CI = 2.00, 2.50), p-value < 0.001, non-Arab mothers (AOR = 2.44, 95%CI = 1.83, 3.24), p-value < 0.001, maternal employment (AOR = 1.37, 95%CI = 1.05, 1.77), p-value = 0.019, and cesarean delivery (AOR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.83, 3.24), p-value = 0.011, pre-pregnancy maternal overweight (AOR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.12, 1.98), p-value = 0,006, and pre-pregnancy maternal obesity (AOR = 2.15, 95%CI = 1.35, 3.44), p-value = 0.001.

First, unlike other studies, not all obstetrical outcomes (e.g. maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity) were included as the current study data were part of a large project, and such limitations are expected; second, only quantitative method was used in the present study, it is clear from the literature AMA is a dilemma. Therefore, a qualitative study and mixed methods (both quantitative and qualitative) will provide a better explanation for such an understudied topic. Therefore, further research is recommended to overcome the abovementioned limitations aiming to explore the complexity of AMA, including studying its social determinants. Furthermore, it is worth emphasizing that future research involves more concerned parties, including health, culture and planning authorities, to better understand AMA issues.

The study provided valuable information regarding AMA issues in the UAE. Such information is of paramount importance to all involved parties, including policymakers, to take action regarding improving the health of mothers with advanced ages. Specific actions can be taken through thorough counseling of all expectant mothers with advanced ages before pregnancy, throughout pregnancy and delivery and beyond, by dealing with existing medical conditions and highlighting possible risks of AMA on pregnancy outcomes and how to overcome them in advance. In addition, further research is recommended to explore the social determinants of AMA.